Six Steps for Better Delegation

May 16

Written By Adam Barney

A 2015 Gallup study of 143 CEOs on the Inc. 500 list showed that companies run by executives who effectively delegate grow faster, generate more revenue, and create more jobs.

Why do we hesitate?

Concerns about delegation activate our “emotional immune system,” which tries to ward off feelings of fear, overwhelm, loss of control, and disappointment. We're wired to avoid possible adverse outcomes.

So, how do we get past it?

Keep reading.

My 6 Steps for Better Delegation

#1 Mission First

The first step is knowing your mission. Here are some examples I’ve seen in the wild - don’t be afraid to make them big, hairy, and audacious!

External mission: To help a million people achieve success without burnout and enjoy their lives via my newsletter, community, courses, and social content. Currently at 150,000.
Internal mission: To spend more time doing things I love with my kids and partner.

Ask yourself: does this task get me closer to my goals?

#2 The 70% Rule

Could someone else do the task 70% as well as me? If so, then delegate.

Examples:

Writing the newsletter? No. Keep.
Turning my newsletter into social content? Yes. Delegate.
Publishing my newsletter on Yahoo and LinkedIn? Yes. Delegate.
Building my next course? No. Keep.
Responding to emails about podcast requests and meetings? Yes. Delegate.
Sending out calendar invitations? Yes. Delegate.
Booking doctor’s appointments? Yes. Delegate.
Writing my book? No. Keep.
Researching independent bookstores for my book launch? Yes. Delegate.
Itemizing my expenses for tax purposes? Yes. Delegate.
Updating my P&L to reduce operating expenses? Yes. Delegate.
Taking a sales call? No. Keep.

Using the 70% rule, you can free up days to focus on the most important things for your business, unlocking faster growth.

#3 Ask Eisenhower

The Eisenhower Matrix helps organize tasks by urgency and importance to prioritize your work effectively.

To-do lists often hold you back. You rush to check off quick tasks, but meaningful work takes time. I stay in the Not Urgent - Important matrix as much as possible and delegate urgent tasks. Use your team or VA to look for tasks that can be deleted.

#4 Clarify Responsibilities and Boundaries

Initially, you can break down the monthly, weekly, and daily tasks you want to delegate. Then, describe the desired results in detail, including clear expectations about the outcome, how the task fits into the bigger picture, and criteria for success.

I also recommend sharing how you think, what frustrates you, what gives you energy, and any perspectives on things like travel, meetings, and content creation.

#5 Spend Time to Save Time

The following rule is about onboarding. We get antsy when giving tasks to someone to “figure out,” but by sharing your POV, you save time correcting them later.

I spent two whole weeks, 4-5 hours a day, meeting with my VA and discussing the tasks and processes. Athena provides a dedicated operations manager to oversee your VA and share best practices, which was incredibly helpful.

#6 Establish Checkpoints

Lastly, create reliable checkpoints. Early on, it might work best to send daily updates on accomplishments and areas needing your attention. Then meet weekly to review their needs and monthly to reflect on what’s working and what’s not. This rhythm keeps things moving and limits mistakes or miscommunication.

The results?

It’s possible to save 40 work hours weekly in just one month.

What would you do with 40 hours back a week?

More time with your family? Hit your workout goal? Write that book? Start that project?

Two final reminders:

Control your calendar, or someone else will.
Deep work > Admin work

Adam Barney